Chair



Dec. 5, 1944. 'G. D. WOOD 7 2,364,261

CHAIR Original Filed July '7. 1942 Patented Dec. 5, 1944 CHAIR Glenn D. Wood, Elkhart, Ind., assignor to Posture Research Corporation, Elkhart, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Original application July 7, 1942, Serial No.

450,003. Divided and this 1943, Serial No. 484,141

4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in chairs and it consists of the matters herein illustrated and described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims. The present application is a divisional one, as the subject matter thereof was first illustrated and described in my co-pending application, Serial No. 450,003, filed July 7, 1942.

The present invention relates more particularly to an assembly for an oflice and similar chair and which assembly, in general, includes a seat and a supporting spindle therefor, together with a back rest and associated supporting member.

In office chairs of this kind, as heretofore made, the spindle was of metal and carried a metal spider at its top end to support the seat. The member for supporting the back rest also was made of metal. Thus, such an assembly was quite heavy and required a considerable amount of machine work and labor, all of which was reflected in the ultimate price of the chair.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a seat, spindle and back rest assembly for an office or similar chair wherein the parts are so formed and correlated that they may be made substantially entirely of wood and yet be light in weight, but strong and rigid and relatively inexpensive to produce.

Another object of the invention is to provide in an assembly of this kind a novel back rest supporting member made of a piece of bent wood having some flexibility in one direction and which is so fastened at one end to a wooden seat and spindle as to be securely held in place thereon in a manner preventing relative movement therebetween.

The above mentioned objects of the invention, as well as others, together with the several advantages thereof, will more fully appear as the specification proceeds.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of a seat, back rest and spindle assembly for chairs embodying the preferred form of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a view in rear elevation of the assembly appearing in and on the scale of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical front to rear sectional view, on an enlarged scale, through the improved assembly as taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 and also illustrates a part of the hub of the base of the chair in which the spindle is journalled.

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the parts of the assembly appearing in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a. horizontal detail sectional view, on the scale of Fig. 3, through the vertical part of the back rest supporting member as taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2 and more particularly shows the laminated or plywood structure of said member.

application April 23,

Fig. 6 is a horizontal detail sectional view through the seating supporting spindle, substantially on the scale of Fig. 3, as taken on the line the invention illustrated in the drawing, In in-' dicates the seat of the assembly, ll indicates the supporting spindle or post thereof and I2 indicates a back rest that is adjustably mounted upon the upper end of a supporting member I3 as will later appear.

The seat includes a. rectangular wooden body that comprises a front rail l4, side rails I5|5 and a top panel l6 covered by suitable upholstery l1. On the underside of the panel is a pair of laterally spaced wooden cleats I8 that extend from the front to the rear thereof and anchored midway in each cleat is a bolt IS.

The spindle II is cylindrical in cross section and is. turned down from a piece of laminated wood or plywood as appears from the transverse cross section through said spindle in Fig. 6. The top end of said spindle fits in a hole provided therefor in a seat supporting spider 20. This spider, which is also made of wood, fits within the wooden body of the seat as appears in Fig. 4 and engages toward its lateral margins with the cleats I 8-I8. A part of the upper portion of the spindle I l extends through a cylindrical wooden block 2! that is spaced below the spider 20 and said block is fixed to the spindle by a cross pin or dowel 22 as best shown in Fig. 3. The bottom surface of said block 2| is fiat and forms a thrust bearing face 23 for the assembly as will later appear.

The spider 20 is provided with forwardly and rearwardly extending slots 20a, spaced in accord-,

ance with the lateral spacing of the bolts I!) so that the threaded ends of said bolts will extend therethrough, one through each slot. Said threaded ends of the bolts receive Wing nuts 24 whereby the seat may be clamped to the spider. By loosening said wing nuts, the seat as a whole may be adjusted forwardly orrearwardly upon the spider within limits permitted by the slots 20a. The structure just above mentioned best appears in Fig. 4.

The back rest supporting member I3 is made from a piece of laminated Wood, or plywood bent into substantially an L shape to include an upright portion 25 and a horizontal portion 25 connected together by a curved knee or portion 21 as best appears in Fig. l. The piece of laminated Wood. or plywood, from which th supporting member i3 is made, is wider than it is thick and the laminations or plies thereof extend the width thereof as appears in Fig.5. As shown in Fig. 4, the width of the member l3 approximates the {tional screws, bolts and nuts. though'made of wood, the parts are so formed,

diameter of the upper end of the block 2 l. The curved corner. or knee '21 of saidmember is made on a substantial radius and is capable of some flexing to provide a limited back and forth yielding of the upright portion 25 under proper pressure thereagainst by the occupant.

The forward portion of the horizontal part 26 I form 'a rigid assembly.

The back rest 12 has a horizontal block 29 securedto its rear face and in this block are anchored laterally spaced bolts 30. The threaded ends of said bolts extendthrough associated vertical slots 3| in the top end part of the upright portion 2.5 of the back rest supporting-member l3. Suitable wing nuts .32 are applied-to the threaded ends of the bolt .30 that extend through and beyond said slots and these nuts are disposed upon the rear side of said upright portion 25. By loosening said-nuts, .it is apparent that the back rest member l3 may be adjusted upwardly or downwardly within limits asprovided .by the .slots 3|. By tightening said nuts, the back rest is secured, in the adjusted ,position.

When the assembly above described is mounted uponthe base of the-associated chair as described in the before mentioned application, of which the .present,applicatin is a division, the spihdle extends through thehub. 33 ofthebase of the chair, only a partj34 oiiwhich appears in Fig. 3. Suitable washers.3536 surround parts ofthespindle H above and below the hub. .The washers 35 act ..as elements to receiveth thrust imposed uponthem by the blockmember'2l The washers 35 function as spacing elements between .a retaining member 31 fastened to the bottom extremity of the spindle andtthe hub 33of the base 34.

It is apparent from the foregoing that substantiallyall of the assembly described is made of -wood.'the only metal parts being afew convencorrelated and secured together as to provide a rigid but light weight seat, back rest and spindle assembly that Will give trouble-free service over along period of time. It is pointed out that that part of the spindle H below the bearing surface '23 of the block 21 may be either impregnated or coated with a suitable lubricant whereby it may turn relatively easy in the hub 33 of the base '34 without squeaking. Being made of laminated .wood or plywood. thezgrain of the wood plies is sofdisposed thatthe size and shape of the spindle is maintained within reasonable limits and is amply strong to resist breaking strains.

While in describing the invention, I have re- .ierred in detail to the form, construction and arrangement of the parts making up the assembly, thesame is to be considered only in the illustrative sense so that I do not wish to be limited thereto except. as may be specifically set forth in the appended claims.

,I claim as myinvention:

However even 1. In a chair, the combination of a seat suping member wider than it is thick and including a generally upright portion and a generally horizontal portion connected thereto by a curved ,knee of such radius as to be capable of some flexing, said horizontal portion being engaged with and fixed to the underside of said seat supporting member, a supporting spindle having an upper portion passing through said horizontal portion of the back rest supporting member and operatively engaged with the seat supporting member, and an enlargement on said spindle below and coacting with said seat supporting member in confining said horizontal portion of the back rest supporting member therebetween.

.2. In a chair, the combination of a seat supporting member, a back rest supporting member made from apiece of laminated wood wider than it is, thick and bent to provide a generally upright portion and a generally horizontal portion connected thereto by a curved knee of such radius portion passing through said horizontal portion of the back rest supporting member and opera- .tively engaged with the seat supporting member, and an enlargement -on said spindle below and coacting with said seat supporting member in confining said horizontal portion of the back rest supporting member therebetween.

3. In a chair, the combination of a seat supporting member, a bent wood back rest support- .ing member wider thanit is thick and including a generally upright portion. and a generally horizontal portion connected thereto by a curved knee of such radius as to be capable of some flexing, said horizontal portion being engaged with and fixed to the underside of the'seat supporting member, a supporting spindle of laminated wood with the laminae extending in the direction of the length of the spindle, the upper portion of the spindle passing through said horizontal portion of the back rest supporting member and operatively engaged with the seat supporting member, and an enlargement on said spindle and coacting with said seat supporting member in confining said horizontal portion of the back rest supporting member therebetween.

4. In a chair,,the combination of a wooden seat supporting member, a bent wood back rest supporting member wider than it is thick and in- ,cludinga generallyupright portion and a generally horizontal portion connected thereto by a curved knee of such radius as to be capable of some flexing, said horizontal portion being engaged with and fixed to the underside of said seat supporting member, a wooden .supporting spindle having an upper portion passing through said horizontal portion of the back rest supporting member and operatively engaged with said seat supporting member, and a wooden enlargement fixod to the spindle below and coacting with said seat supporting member in confining said horizontal portion of the back rest supporting member'therebetween.

GLENN D. WOOD. 

